Dependent
by SeaBreeze
Summary: Sango and Miroku POV's on eachother. She had become altogether too dependent on him...
1. Dependent

Dependent By: Seabreeze Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, setting, or music. But I own my AN: If you want "mood music", listen to "Last Dance" by Sarah McLachlan, "Sango's Theme" from the Inuyasha soundtrack, "Gravity of Love" and "Return to Innocence" by Enigma, and "Mad World" from the Donnie Darko soundtrack.  
  
Sango froze for a moment, eyes glazing over as she thought. Her hands, shaking slightly, automatically began rubbing the hiratsu again. Trembling but firm, they moved in circles. It had hit her for no apparent reason in the midst of cleaning the hiratsu. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo were at the river trying to fish. Miroku sat a few meters away, leaning against a tree and humming to himself. So like Miroku, who could appear childishly innocent after proving that he really wasn't. As he hummed, a bright red hand print from Sango's smacking a few minutes earlier very slowly faded from his face. It always seemed that her slaps remained on his face longer than other girls', lingering somehow. But maybe that was just her imagination. She laughed silently to herself, sadly, at the thought of her having some sort of impression on him. It was that moment that she truly realized what had shocked her so much.  
  
Miroku had stopped humming, and was watching her thoughtfully. She stopped rubbing and looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"Getting ideas already?" she asked. A slight smile played on Miroku's lips, but he shook his head.  
  
"No," he said quietly after a minute. Confused, Sango went back to rubbing. A sickly hopeful yet sad feeling had hit somewhere in her ribs as she thought that maybe he was thinking seriously of her. But no, not Miroku. Not ever, she wanted it too much.  
  
Cold realization hit her like the returning hiratsu.  
  
She was altogether too dependent on him. Sure, she was Sango, independent warrior in search for the killer of her family and entire village. But she felt she needed Miroku in more ways than one, which proved her pathetic. Needing someone was pathetic, but that the person she needed was Miroku was even worse. Miroku, the perverted monk who asked every decent looking female he met to bare his child. Miroku, who would lie to resident owners about "evil spirits", just to get a free stay. Miroku, who, when he looked at her, made her feel special and normal and wonderful and ordinary and excited and calm all in one moment.  
  
She began polishing harder.  
  
And since when had a man, other than her father and her brother, meant anything to her at all? Men, at least to Sango, were painful wastes of time. One only had to look at Inuyasha and poor Kagome to find more proof of this. Entirely in love with Kagome, yet never being able to admit this and entirely in love with Kikyo, Inuyasha burned something deep in Kagome that, if pushed past a certain point, would never go away nor heal at all. Sango sighed and dropped the hiratsu, walking to the edge of the cliff. Miroku watched as she went, not asking questions but taking her in.  
  
Sango stared into the brilliant wash of the setting sun.  
  
Miroku made her feel innocent, like his stupid female-chasing was only a silly prank compared to everything that had happened to her. He made her feel like she had a slight chance of a normal life, a life filled with happiness. Or at least relief from the pain.  
  
Presently, Miroku stood and came up behind her.  
  
"Sango," he said. She was almost near tears and had no intentions of putting up with his stupidness. She turned abruptly away. Miroku frowned and followed, laying a hand on her shoulder like a true friend would.  
  
"Sango."  
  
She finally turned to face him, defiant and daring him- daring him to tease, daring him to grope her, daring him to give her solace. Dropping his hand from her shoulder, he faced her squarely.  
  
"Don't you think you deserve a little bit of happiness, Sango? What's holding you back?" he asked quietly but firmly, showing a level of understanding Sango didn't think possible in any human being. It had the earnestness of Kirara and the intelligence of a human, with the love of a friend. Or possibly something more. She watched his eyes, and she knew that he knew, knew everything she wanted and worried about and made her sad and made her happy.  
  
Sango flung her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. She pressed her face into his neck and sobbed silently as he comforted her. It touched her to think that Miroku cared enough to perceive and understand her, and more to comfort her when she didn't think it possible. Only Miroku. He held her just as tightly, for her own sake as well as his own.  
  
It wasn't long before she realized that she had been holding onto the perverted monk entirely too long. Embarrassed, she pulled back. Miroku smiled as if everything was healed, and it wasn't. But it was a start. Silently they headed back to the empty campsite, separate and apart yet close.  
  
Sango felt something grab at her hindquarter area.  
  
"MIROKU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 


	2. An Ode to Maybe

An Ode to Maybe  
  
By Seabreeze  
  
AN: Based loosely on the song "An Ode to Maybe" by Third Eye Blind. The second companion part to "Dependent" only this time from Miroku's POV. As a warning I can't spell most Japanese terms and will try to avoid them at all costs, and I haven't seen past episode 36, other than the few I download. Viz is getting behind a little, I say. Also, when I had my friends read this story, they weren't happy with the ending. I think you have to look at it from a couple different angles to get the gist.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, setting, or music. Or else I would have so much money I wouldn't write fanfictions, because well yeah. I'd be creating.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Sango hadn't thought he was awake when she snuck off, but he was. He lay quietly, eyes closed and breathing soft and regular as she got up and crept quietly over him, to the door, and out. Through the wide opening of the wooden sliding door, he watched as she sat down by the spring and rolled her leggings up to her knees, hitching her skirts as well. Miroku watched curiously as Sango stepped lightly into the shallow creek, laughing softly and wading further and further.  
  
At this point, Kirara awoke and hurried out to join her. The little cat demon sat on the bank and mewed, and Sango looked back at her. Miroku didn't hide his face, because he knew the shadows hid anything as detailed as that. He heard her speaking softly to the cat:  
  
"Don't worry, Kirara. I'll come back in, soon enough." She grinned to herself and turned around, wading even further than before. By now she was up to her thighs, and she let her skirts drop and soak in the cool water. Miroku raised an eyebrow. It would take all night for those things to dry, but at the moment she didn't seem to mind. For the first time ever, Sango looked thoroughly relaxed and carefree. She bent and cupped her hands in the water, bringing them up dripping near her chest. She gazed into the small pool in her hands.  
  
The carefree Sango was gone in that instant, and her face became solemn. It wasn't long until her silent tears joined the image of her face in the water, and she dropped it and pressed her wet hands to her face. She began shaking with silent sobs. Sango wandered blindly back to the bank, where Kirara met her and anxiously leapt into her arms. She hugged the cat demon fiercely and cried into her fur. Sango fell to her knees and stayed that way.  
  
Miroku contemplated on whether to comfort her or not. It wasn't right to spy, but it also wasn't right to leave her crying like she was. The fact that it was her crying, and not someone else, held him back as well. If it had been Kagome or anyone else, he wouldn't have hesitated.  
  
'Why?' he wondered. 'Why is Sango any different from any other girl?'  
  
That caused for even more contemplation. Sango was different from other girls- very different. Sango was quiet and strong, and she fought as well- if not better- than he did. Sango's past was tragic, and she never flirted like other girls. He guessed this was why it was easier for him to be friends with Sango. Besides the fact that she had a female body (which he knew all too well.), she didn't quite act like a female- at least not one he was interested in. That explained why he hadn't asked her to bear his child yet. He could relate to her having a tragic past, though it was his future that was in grave danger of being tragic.  
  
Maybe, he thought, it was that he saw her differently, and not that she was different.  
  
Miroku knew that Sango cared deeply for him. He knew when she worried about him, when she got angry when he asked other females to bear his child. He knew, however reluctantly, that Sango loved him. His initial reaction upon realizing this was to rebel. He could not love her back for two reasons: first of all, there were too many other good-looking women out there; and secondly, to love Miroku was to be doomed to pain, and he knew Sango had had enough of that in her life already, just at 16. He fought her love by groping, thinking all the time; 'Sango, don't be pathetic, loving me will not help you at all!'  
  
And so he couldn't love her, not even if he wanted to. He couldn't love her if he cared for her. But that was the hard part.  
  
And at the same time, did he even want to love her? All he wanted was to find a nice looking female to have some fun with and bear his child. Tops. He was sorry that it hurt her to see him with other women, but it would hurt far less than if he allowed them to be in love. "Love" was not, and could not, be part of the package.  
  
But, after all, Miroku did care for Sango. She was not only his traveling companion, but a fellow warrior, member of the group out to kill Naraku, and a friend. Combining everything made the whole situation very difficult. If she didn't love him and he wasn't confused about whether he wanted to/didn't want to/could/could not love her, things would be fine.  
  
And he guessed that was how life went. Miroku rose and quietly stepped out of the hut into the moist grass, padding over to wear Sango knelt. He sat next to her, closed his eyes, and said nothing.  
  
Sango spooked slightly, having not known he was even awake, let alone sitting next to her.  
  
"H-houshi-sama." she gasped, trying to control her tears and the reddening of her face all at once. ".I didn't mean to wake you." she trailed off. "I was already awake." He responded matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh," Sango said softly.  
  
Neither of them said anything from that point on. It was odd, sitting silently together like that, but eventually they both fell asleep. When Miroku woke up early that morning, before the sun even had time to warm the grass, he found that he was holding her hand. For a minute he thought about it, rubbing the soft skin, until he began to pull it back. No sense in giving the poor girl false hope.  
  
But she tightened her grip on him pleadingly. Miroku smiled, watching her sleeping face frown.  
  
He guessed a little hope never hurt anyone. 


	3. Reasons to Sit in a Tree

Reasons to Sleep in a Tree  
  
By Seabreeze  
  
A/N: The third part to my weird series where the characters think about another character. This one's with Inuyasha, though. Inuyasha, go figure.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.  
  
~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha sat in the strong branch of the tree, high above the others. For some reason, he liked it better up there- maybe because he was nearer to the moon, and maybe because no one else could get up there. Whenever a tree like this was available, he jumped at the chance and slept up on a branch. He could think freely, with hardly any interruptions. Unless Kagome woke up.  
  
Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Shippo, and Kagome slept soundly below him around a fire. Sango turned restlessly every minute or so. Shippo's feet twitched involuntarily, as if he was running, and Miroku slept holding the wrist of his cursed hand. Kagome, though, rarely moved. It was as if she froze the moment sleep had her so as not to scare it away, and keep it with her until it had to go. This had always intrigued him, and when Kagome slept he imagined her holding onto sleep like someone would a warm blanket on a cool night. Her face was still, except on nights like tonight when the moonlight was shrouded. From where he sat up on the branch, Inuyasha could hear -however slightly- Kagome's soft breathing. Inhale, pause, exhale. Like smooth mechanics.  
  
It was moments like this that Inuyasha realized how truly fragile she was. It wouldn't take much to end that breathing, to stop her heart from beating. This was the same for the others, as well, but Kagome always seemed more defenseless. Sango and Miroku lived their lives defending themselves, and Shippo and Kirara were demons. But Kagome had only recently picked up the bow. Even then- something about her told him to protect her. Another good advantage of the tree. Any chance of an attacker he was bound to see, and he would definitely be able to react to one. He growled softly without realizing and dug his nails into the bark.  
  
Inuyasha's sensitive ears suddenly picked up a soft rustling from below. Quickly he peered over, only to see Kagome stirring. Odd. Kagome never stirred. She twitched and rolled roughly, making captured groaning noises.  
  
"Get off, you stupid jerk!" she murmured softly yet violently. Inuyasha watched for a moment more and settled back into his resting position. She was only dreaming, stupid girl. He closed his eyes and listened as Kagome settled into sleep again. It was a very soothing lullaby. But a few minutes later, he heard her wake and rise. She walked quietly over and sat with her back to the trunk of the tree.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Are you still awake?" He snorted.  
  
"Feh. If I wasn't before, I would be now. What do you want?" he said. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"Nothing," she said. There was quiet for a moment. Finally Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"So what woke you up so suddenly, then?" he mocked softly, not really knowing why he was mocking her.  
  
"Some sort of nightmare." she replied.  
  
"Feh. About what?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome seemed rather quiet. It was making him nervous. After a moment or so she responded.  
  
"I'm not really sure. something about you and Miroku and Sango and everyone disappearing. Gone." She said quietly, closing her eyes and resting her head against the trunk of the tree. Inuyasha snorted.  
  
"Stupid girl. We would never leave you like that. And nothing could make me go anywhere I didn't want to."  
  
"I know," Kagome replied. She shivered, and her teeth began to chatter slightly. Inuyasha would've gone down to warm her human body, but there was another reason he'd slept in a tree that night. There were certain times when he had to distance himself from her because of reasons ordinary men wouldn't understand. Being dog demon, he could smell things men weren't supposed to smell. Now was one of those times. He pulled off the outer cover of his clothing and tossed it over her, covering her back and shoulders.  
  
"Stop chattering, already, you'll keep me up." He ordered, feeling the same coolness that had chilled her. It didn't bother him, and he wasn't uncovered. Kagome yawned and nestled into it.  
  
"Thanks, Inuyasha." It wasn't long until her breathing had slowed, and she was asleep.  
  
"Don't mention it," Inuyasha said softly, and after checking on her once more, he lie down.  
  
'That's what I'm here for.' 


End file.
